Multiple shelving construction



y 7, 1962 E. F. SCHILD 3,044,632

MULTIPLE SHELVING CONSTRUCTION Filed March 7, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Edwin F Schilo July 17, 1962 E. F. SCHILD 3,044,632

' MULTIPLE SHELVING CONSTRUCTION Filed March 7, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 .EWEZW E0600? F .Schilo' July 17, 1962 E. ascmu:

MULTIPLE SHELVING CQNSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 7, 1960 Q as &

y 1962 E. F. SCHILD 3,044,632

MULTIPLE SHELVING CONSTRUCTION Filed March 7, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 50 11/01 F Salli/q Patented July 17,1962

3,044,632 MULTIPLE SHELVING CONSTRUCTION Edwin F. Schild, 1644 77th Court, Elmwood Park, 111. Filed Mar. 7, 1960, Ser. No. 12,985 4 Claims. (Cl. 211147) The present invention relates to improvements 1n shelving and particularly to a shelving assembly formed of parts which are shipped disassembled and are assembled on location to form strong rigid continuous shelving of the type used in stores.

In installations for stores of the self-service type, such as grocery stores, long rows of shelving are employed to display and make available the products on sale. In the original installation it is useful if the shelving can be shipped disassembled, and assembled in accordance with the plan of the individual store, simply and easily with the use of semi-experienced or inexperienced personnel. It is advantageous if the shelving can all be formed of uniform parts and yet be capable of carrying the maximum required load imposed upon it by the heaviest produce to be sold without requiring the construction to be prohibitive in expense and weight. a

It is an object of the invention to provide improved shelving capable of easy assembly on location without the use of hardware and providing the dexterity of adapta tion demanded by present day self-service store use.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a shelving assembly wherein shelving sections are provided in units and the individual units can be assembled in an aligned row. with the completed row forming a uniform line of continuous shelving superbly adapted for carrying loads of different weights and maintaining a substantially precise accurate alignment without distortion of the row by the sharing of the load between units.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved shelving assembly which is easily and quickly assembled without the use of extrinsic hardware to obtain different arrangements of the shelves for the original assembly and at any time after original installation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shelving assembly capable of providing a continuous uninterr-upted horizontal shelf surface which will maintain its alignment with uneven weight demand and where interdependent cooperation between units is achieved for improved strength, appearance and versatility.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent with the teaching of the principles of the invention in the disclosure of the preferred embodiments thereof in the specification, claims and drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of shelving formed of an assembly of individual shelf units constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged detailed fragmental vertical sectional view taken substantially along line II-II of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective view shown in exploded form of the shelving assembly of FIGURE 1, with parts omitted;

'FIGURE 4 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken substantially along line IV-IV of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 5 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially along line V--V of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially along lifie VIVI of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view showing an end finishing piece for the end of the shelving; and,

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary perspective View showing a structure used when the shelving is to be placed against a wall.

As shown on the drawings:

As shown particularly in FIGURES l and 3, a completed shelving assembly includes a series of individual units such as 10 and 11 arranged in an aligned row and attached to interdependently support the shelving and the weight of the produce carried thereby. Each of the units is of substantially identical construction so that in a store installation they may be stretched out in a row for any length which is the multiple of the individual units, and may extend for the full length of the store.

Each of the units includes a back member 12 and 13 respectively for the units 10 and 11, with shelves 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20. The back members 12 and 13 are provided with individual end brackets such as 21, 22, 23 and 24 which support the shelves between them. The ditferent brackets and different shelves are similar in structure and therefore only some are numbered for description. 7

At the base of the back members are base gussets 25, 2'6 and 27 which support the back members in an upright position. Between the gussets are baseboard plates 28 and 29 which rest on a floor surface and slide freely to'the floor eliminating any crack or opening which might result from an uneven floor and this is almost always present. The upper ends of the back members are locked to each other, such as by a locking clip 38a.

These elements are utilized in providing the main structure for the shelving units and for the continuous rows of metal endcolumns 32 and 33 for the back member 12 and 36 and 37 for the back member 13. The end columns support the brackets as will be described.

Located between the flat plates are cross braces 38 and the plates may have a shaped raised surface configuration for attractiveness and strength and are preferably welded to the end columns and cross braces thereby providing a rigidified unit.

The back members are maintained in an erect position by being supported on base gussets 25, 26 and 27. A

feature of the base gussets resides in their capability of being secured without the use of hardware such as nuts and bolts, etc. The base gussets are rigidly secured at the base of the back members and extend thereacross to maintain the back members erect.

The back members 12'and 13 are rigidly secured to the base gussets by attaching means which utilize the weight of the back members and the products supported on the shelves for aiding in establishing the rigidity of the connection.

As illustrated in FIGURE 3, the gussets are provided with wedge brackets 39 and 40 which receive locking wedges, such as illustrated at 41 and 42 secured to the outer face of the-end column 32', and such as illustrated at 43 and 44-, secured to the outer face of the end column 36. The wedge brackets 39 and 40 are secured to one face of the base gusset 26 and receive locking wedges, not

shown, which aresecured to the outer face of the end column 33. The locking wedges 41 and '42 are lockingly received by wedge brackets, not shown, attached to the inner face of the base gusset 25. The side of the base 0 gusset 26 which is hidden in FIGURE 3 has wedge brackets, not shown, which receive the locking wedges 43 1 and 44. Thus, each of the outer faces of the end columns is provided with upper and lower vertically spaced wedges which are received by wedge brackets attached to a base gusset. The wedge brackets are formed of shaped sheet metal secured such as by welding to the side face of the base gusset and the wedge is provided with projecting cars, such as shown at 43a and 43b for the wedge 43, which are lockingly received in the sides of a wedge bracket such as illustrated by sides 3% and 39b of the wedge bracket 39. The wedges are urged downwardly to a firm seating engagement with the wedge brackets by the weight on the back member.

The end columns are offset inwardly at their base, such as illustrated generally at 32a and 36a for the end columns 32 and 36 so as to bring the base gussets substantially in alignment with the outer surface of the upper portion of the end columns. This arrangement will bring adjacent end columns from adjacent back members into snug touching engagement, such as illustrated by the back members in their assembled condition in FIGURE 1. The lower ends of the end columns are held in alignment by the wedges and wedge brackets, and the upper ends of the end columns are held in alignment such as by a U-shaped clip 38a which slides over the top edges of adjacent end columns. It will be understood that I contemplate the use of other locking means such as that utilizing a locking pin to achieve both longitudinal and lateral restraint of the back members. The open upper ends of the back members are closed by a finishing top channel 45 for the back member 12, and a similar channel, not shown, is provided for the back member 13.

A single gusset 26 is provided between each of the adjoining back members for a continuous aligned row of shelving assembly units such as and 11. At the end of the row the finishing gusset is provided. The intermediate gussets such as 26 are provided with wedge brackets on each side. The end gussets are provided with a plain outer surface, such as illustrated at a and 27a for the base gussets 25 and 27.

The gussets are provided with top channels such as 2611 for the gusset 26 for supporting the bottom shelves. The space beneath the shelf is closed off for the presentation of a finished appearance and for preventing floor surfaces from being exposed, by baseboard plates 28 and 29. These baseboard plates are supported by vertical guide members 46 and 47, FIGURES 2 and 3, which provide vertical channels for receiving U-shaped ends 28a and 29a of the baseboard end plates. This permits the baseboard plates to rest on a supporting floor surface regardless of the adjusted height of the shelving unit. Adjustment of the shelving height is obtained by leveling members 46a and 46b attached to the base gusset 26, and similar leveling members are attached to the other gussets.

Each of the brackets is substantially identical in construction and therefore the description of a bracket 49 in detail will suflice for the other brackets. Of course, the brackets are made to fit right and left hand ends of the back members. The bracket 49 is made in two parts with an inner part 49a and an outer part 4% which is welded to the outer surface of the part 49a. The inner part 49a is provided with tabs 50, 51 and 52 which are insertable into the slots 48a, 48b and 48c respectively of the evenly spaced vertical slots 48 in the end columns. The position of the bracket for insertion is illustrated in the dotted line position of FIGURE 4. The upper tab has an upper projection with an outwardly facing supporting surface or face 53 and also has a lower projection with an outwardly facing supporting surface 54. Both the upper and lower surfaces engage the inner surface 32a of the end column when the bracket is in locked position with the upper tab locked in the slot 48a. The lower tab 52 rests at the base of the slot 480. The intermediate tab 51 has a downwardly extending projection with an outwardly facing supporting surface 55 which engages the inner surface 32:: of the end column 32. These tabs with their projections give very rigid support and transfer the weight of a load on the shelf to the bracket. It may be desirable with shorter shelf brackets to omit the lower tab 52 thus using only two tabs, although the illustrated structure is prefered.

The end columns are formed with a central offset portion as shown at 64 for the column 32 in FIGURE 6. The central offset portion provides surfaces in which the slots 48 may be cut and also provides additional supporting surfaces for the brackets, as well as giving added rigidity to the end columns. Beside the central offset portion 64 of the end column are outwardly facing shoulders 57 and 58 which are engaged by the surface 60 of the bracket 49 and by a surface 61 of the bracket which extends in the opposite direction from the bracket 49. The tabs on the brackets engage the inner surface 59 within the offset portion of the end column as illustrated by the surfaces 62 and 63 of the brackets 49 and 65. These shoulder surfaces 57 and 58 and the surface 59 prevent the brackets from swinging in one direction and the brackets are prevented from swinging in the opposite direction by engagement with the fiat outer surface of a bracket on an adjacent shelf unit and also by the shelf which locks with the bracket. The brackets of course engage the outer surface of another bracket from another unit only when the shelves are set at the same height, as illustrated by the shelves 14 and 15 in FIGURE 1.

The brackets have a turned lower edge 66 for rigidity and are provided with an upper edge 67 which is turned inwardly and upwardly to provide a seat and a locking flange for the shelf 16, as illustrated in FIGURE 4. The shelf has an end insert which is turned downwardly at its edge 68 to seat on the top of the bracket. The outer edge of the shelf is turned rearwardly and upwardly at 69, and the upwardly turned portion is provided with a notch 70 to lock beneath the upper edge 67 of the bracket. The side edge 68 of the shelf is notched at 71 to receive a protuberance 72 formed in the bracket, and this locks the shelf against sliding outwardly relative to the bracket. In setting the shelf on the brackets the front edge of the shelf is hooked beneath the brackets and the rear edge is then dropped downwardly, with the shelf extending substantially to the back plate 30 for additional rigidity.

An important feature of the structure resides in the locking of the alignment between the adjacent brackets when the shelves are set at the same height on adjacent shelving units. FIGURE 5 illustrates the bracket 49 of FIGURE 4 when it is used as an intermediate bracket adjacent another bracket 75, and as such it has no finishing plate 81, such as is provided in FIGURE 6. For convenience FIGURE 5 is shown as a sectional view, taken from FIGURE 4, although in FIGURE 4 only the bracket 49 is shown. One of the brackets is provided with a stretched or expanded aligning boss 73 formed of two horizontal, vertically spaced cuts with the metal between the cuts pushed outwardly. This aligning boss is received by an aligning slot 74 formed with horizontal upper and lower edges and cut in the adjacent bracket. The brackets have sufficient play before the shelves are installed to permit insertion of the aligning boss 73 into the aligning slot 74. When the shelves are positioned, the notch 70 at the ends of the shelves will hold the brackets against each other. Thus the brackets will automatically look at the same vertical elevation. The alignment of the brackets is foolproof and certain and even inexperienced personnel cannot assemble the unit without the brackets being locked in alignment. Furthermore there is no additional hardware to be installed which might be lost or forgotten.

Inasmuch as the brackets are in perfect alignment, the shelves will remain horizontally aligned presenting a perfectly straight appearance to the eye for the complete length of the aligned shelving units. The alignment locking is significant when shelves must carry different loads and a shelf with the heavy load will transfer some of its weight to an adjacent shelving unit through the alignment boss and slot 73 and 74. The shelves are C011. structed so that they will be flush and present a continu ous fiat upper surface when mounted at the same level. This continuous upper surface will remain aligned without the shelves shifting out of alignment by the positive locking of the brackets. 'It is to be noted that with right and left hand brackets which will be adjacent each other in the assembled shelving units arranged in aligned row, one of the brackets is provided with the boss and the other of the brackets is provided with the slot.

The endmost unit of an aligned row is covered by an end plate 77 held to the end column by clips 76. These clips are shaped to fit into the slots 48 in the end column and the end plate has U-shaped ends 78 and 79 to permit it to be slid downwardly over the clips. The brackets such as 49 and 65 which are to be used at the end of a row of units are provided with thin finishing plates 80 and 81 which may be suitably attached to the outer surface of the brackets such as by Welding.

In another preferred form, illustrated in FIGURE 7, a slip-on finishing piece 80a will cover the end of the shelf and part of the bracket 17a, extending down at least as far as the alignment boss or slot. To accommodate and support the finishing piece 80a, the end insert for the shelf 17 is provided with end openings 17b and 170. The finishing piece 80a has a tab 80b with a notch 800 to lock into the opening 17b. The finishing piece has a downwardly extending tang 80 which extends into the opening 170 and locks over the metal below the opening. The finishing piece 80a also has a bracket 80d with a notch 80:: that locks over the upper edge 17d of the shelf bracket 17a. This finishing piece has a smooth doubled upper edge 80g and is easily attached and the openings for locking the finishing piece are easily provided without appreciably alfecting the strength of the shelf. Thus no special brackets need be provided for the end sections of shelvingand at the end of a row, a finishing piece 80a is simply attached.

In operation a series of back members such as 12 and 13 are set up in aligned rows. The wedges 43 and 44 are dropped into the wedge brackets of the gusset plate 26 to support the back member 13 and the Wedges for the back member 12 dropped into the wedge brackets 39 and 40 on the base gusset 26. The upper ends of the back members are locked by the clip 38a. The baseboard plates are dropped in place by being slid into the guides on the base gussets to be supported on the floor surface. The brackets are then installed at the heights at which the shelves are to be located and the shelves are mounted on the brackets. The top channels 45 may be then dropped in place and the clips 76 installed for the end finishing plates 77.

It will be understood that the shelving structure above described may also be employed as wall shelving wherein the back members are placed against a wall and shelves project only from one side thereof. In this construction it may be advisable to omit the flat sheet metal plate attached to the end columns and cross braces at the back sides of the end columns. The shelves which project to the back of the end columns of course will be omitted, and the base gussets will not project in back of the back members. FIGURE 8 illustrates a fragmentary back perspective view of a construction which may be employed for a wall shelving unit. An end column 85' may have slots 85a facing only forwardly. The cross braces 85 are provided with notches 87 at the end to slide over inwardly turned flanges 91 and 92 on the end column. The cross brace '86 is shown as provided with upturned sides 83 and 89 which extend on the outer surface of the flanges 91 and 92 and are attached thereto by spot welds such as 98 and 93. A plate 94 is secured to the front of the cross brace 86 by spot welds 95 and to the end column by spot welds 96.

a shelving installation of any desiralble length and the assembly is installed without the use of hardware. Installation can be accomplished by inexperienced personnel and it is substantially impossible to commit an error in installation inasmuch as the parts must assume their rigid interrelated stress sharing position when they are in position to fit together. While the drawing of FIGURE 1 illustrates the intermediate shelves at staggered elevations, the upper and lower shelves illustrate a commonly used installation wherein the shelves of the individual units are mounted in a straight line. In this straight line arrangement the brackets are held inalignment and there is no division between the shelves of the individual units. The shelves will provide a continuous flat planar surface which cannot move out of alignment. The brackets are rigidly held against movement in all directions and the assembly of the number of units has the parts coacting as a single unitary construction sharing the load without sagging or shifting position' The drawings and specification present a detailed disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the invention, and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific forms disclosed, but covers all modifications, changes and alternative constructions and methods falling within the scope of the principles taught by the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A shelving assembly comprising a vertical back member for arrangement in a row with other aligned back members, and each member having front and back flat surface plates with integral end colunms between the plates at each end and said plates attached to the front and back of said columns, said end columns having evenly spaced forwardly and rearwardly opening slots with shoulders positioned adjacent the slots, brackets having pro jecting tabs insertable into the slots with vertical locking faces for supporting the brackets in engagement with said shoulders, alignment locking means on the brackets for looking to adjacent brackets on adjacent back members maintaining the brackets in alignment, shelves extending between the brackets on each of the back members, base gussets at the base of the back members for supporting the back members in an upright position, means for locking the gussets to the back members, baseboard plates mounted to extend between said base gussets and supported for free unlimited vertical movement with respect to said base gussets so that the baseboard plates will freely rest on a floor surface, and end finishing plates connected to the outer end of the back members for covering the back members and inner ends of the brackets.

2. A shelving assembly comprising a vertical back memher having end columns at each end with slots therein, brackets having tabs for insertion into the slots for supporting the brackets shelves extending between the brackets and supported thereon, base gussets for supporting the back upright from a floor surface, said columns oif-set inwardly from the vertical planes of the columns at the lower end to accommodate the base gussets, and means for securing the base gussets to the end columns.

3. A shelving assembly comprising a vertical back member having end columns, said end columns, each.

with the brackets engaging said shoulders, shelves mounted on the brackets, base gussets for supporting the back member upright from a floor surface, and means for securing the base gussets to the end columns.

4. A shelving assembly comprising a vertical back memher for arrangement in an aligned row with other back members having front and back fiat plates with end columns at each end between the plates, said columns each having a central portion outwardly offset from the end of the back member, with spaced slots in the sides of the offset portion, and outwardly facing shoulders provided in the end column adjacent said offset portion, base gussets at the base of the back member for supporting it in an upright position, and a bracket for supporting shelves on the back member having a first part with tabs extending in the plane of the brackets lockingly into said slots, the inside surface of said first part bearing against said shoulder to prevent swinging of the bracket in one direction, said bracket having a second part secured to the outside surface of said first part to engage the bracket of an Cir adjacent back member to prevent swinging of the bracket in the other direction.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,826,114 Young -c Oct. 6, 1931 1,984,007 Babbitt Dec. 11, 1934 1,990,756 Saaf Feb. 12, 1935 2,191,701 Wood Feb. 27, 1940 2,691,502 Jones Oct. 12, 1954 2,700,476 Maintain Jan. 25, 1955 2,787,382 Williams Apr. 2, 1957 2,872,049 Slater Feb. 3, 1959 

